title: Cofilin activation in peripheral CD4 T cells of HIV-1 infected patients: a pilot study.
abstract: Cofilin is an actin-depolymerizing factor that regulates actin dynamics critical for T cell migration and T cell activation. In unstimulated resting CD4 T cells, cofilin exists largely as a phosphorylated inactive form. Previously, we demonstrated that during HIV-1 infection of resting CD4 T cells, the viral envelope-CXCR4 signaling activates cofilin to overcome the static cortical actin restriction. In this pilot study, we have extended this in vitro observation and examined cofilin phosphorylation in resting CD4 T cells purified from the peripheral blood of HIV-1-infected patients. Here, we report that the resting T cells from infected patients carry significantly higher levels of active cofilin, suggesting that these resting cells have been primed in vivo in cofilin activity to facilitate HIV-1 infection. HIV-1-mediated aberrant activation of cofilin may also lead to abnormalities in T cell migration and activation that could contribute to viral pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Microbiology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA. ywu8@gmu.edu
authors.forename: Yuntao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Alyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoder
authors.forename: Dongyang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schlauch
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051338:Cofilin 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: C495810:CFL1 protein, human; D051338:Cofilin 1